Madrid: Chelsea striker
Fernando Torres is targeting
the English Premier League
title after a year of ups and
downs which culminated in
triumphs for the Spaniard in
the Champions League, FA
Cup and at Euro 2012.
“I would love to win a
Premier League,” Torres,
who has just joined up with
his club teammates for a pre-
season training camp in the
US, said. “Hopefully, it will
happen this year, but for sure
we will be challenging for
it,” added the 28-year-old.

FA charge

?London: Arsenal mid
fielder Emmanuel Frim
pong has been charged by
the English Football Associ
ation with improper con
duct for allegedly posting
anti-Semitic comments on
Twitter. The FA says Frim
pong used a “reference to
ethnic origin, faith or race”
in response to an abusive
tweet aimed at him on Sun
day. The post has since been
removed. The football body
gave Frimpong until July 27
to respond to the charge.

Fresh deal

?London: Arsenal said
France defender Laurent
Koscielny has agreed to sign
a new long-term contract
with the Premier League
club. The 26-year-old Ko
scielny was signed by Arse
nal manager Arsene
Wenger from French club
Lorient in 2010. He has
played more games for the
team than any other player
since arriving, making 85
appearances.

Messi worry

?Madrid: Lionel Messi
bruised his calf in Mon
day’s training session, his
Barcelona said. A scan had
revealed the extent of the
injury and the Argentine
World Player of the Year
will remain in the Catalan
capital for treatment.
The club was hopeful
that the 25-year-old would be
available for their pre-sea
son friendly against Moroc
can side Raja Club Athletic,
on Saturday.

?Calcutta: Darren Sammy,
the West Indies captain, be
lieves his team are in perfect
shape ahead of the Test se
ries, against New Zealand.
“We haven’t won a (Test) se
ries at home for a long time.
We’re playing some good
cricket at the moment and
we will go into this series
looking to win,” Sammy
said on Monday. “We showed
encouraging signs when we
played (at home) against
Australia back in April and
we want to show that we are
growing as a team.

ICC post

?Dubai: Australian Geoff
Allardice, a former first-
class cricketer, has been
named the ICC’s new gener
al manager-cricket, succeed
ing David Richardson, who
has been promoted to chief
executive of the world body.
For the past decade, Al
lardice has worked with CA,
most recently as the general
manager-cricket operations.
He played first-class cricket
for Victoria.